Grove of trees dedicated in honor of Italian Ambassador to Israel, Gianluigi Benedetti, in Tzora-President’s Forest in the Judean Plain.
Sergio Castelbolognesi, Gianluigi Benedetti and his family unveil the donor recognition plaque.
Photo: Yoav Devir
A grove of trees in honor of H.E. Gianluigi Benedetti, the Italian Ambassador to Israel, was dedicated in the Tzora-President’s Forest, at a special ceremony in the presence of the Italian Ambassador and the President of KKL Italy, Sergio Castelbolognesi.
The Ambassador recalled his previous visit to the forest several months ago, and said that "it was in this place that I first became familiar with the activity of KKL-JNF and I planted my first tree in Israel". He recounted that it was in that moment that he promised himself that he would come back with his family and plant their own personal trees.
The Tzora-Presidents Forest extends over an area of about 2,700 acres in the Judean plain, on the road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. KKL-JNF began planting here about 60 years ago, and has since continued diversifying the forest with local species as well as opening up recreation areas, observation points and a hiking trail. One of KKL-JNF’s main planting centers is also situated in this forest, enabling tourists and overseas visitors to participate in the experience of planting a tree in the forest.
"Whenever I visit Israel I always feel at home here" said Sergio Castelbolognesi, the President of KKL Italy. “In my activities in KKL I have had the good fortune of meeting a diverse range of wonderful people, including Ambassador Benedetti. He is a true friend of Israel, and there is nothing more natural than to plant a grove of trees in his honor, signifying love for the country, the connection to KKL and deep friendship".
The ceremony took place against the backdrop of the beautiful, green forest scenery. Nearby can be found the recognition center established by KKL-JNF in honor of its friends worldwide, whose support has enabled the planting of many groves of trees in the forest. The guests studied the wall of plaques containing the engraved names of donors and honorees, and were impressed by the degree of international participation that went into the establishment of the woods and the forests.
After the ceremony, the recognition plaque for the Italian Ambassador was unveiled, and it was time to get to work planting. Castelbolognesi recited read the planters prayer in Hebrew, and Ambassador Benedetti read the prayer in Italian.
Eran Zabadi, the director of the KKL-JNF Planting Center, expressed his profound appreciation to the guests for their love of Israel and their understanding of the importance of planting trees in Israel. He gave them a brief explanation of how to plant and handed out shovels and young oak saplings to the participants.
The honored guests covered the roots of the saplings with their hands, not forgetting to water them. The oppressive heat that day served as a reminder of the challenge of planting of trees in Israel. The Israeli-invented drip- irrigation system ensures that the trees will survive the upcoming summer. Once the young saplings take root, the irrigation will cease and the trees will continue growing unaided.
A group of Israelis of Italian descent participated in the event, as well as members of the Italian Jewish community who were visiting the country, including the Italian singer Miriam Meghnagi. At the conclusion of the planting, the singer spontaneously started to sing the Prayer for Jerusalem song.
"When I and my family arrived in Israel we immediately fell in love with the country" said the Ambassador. "I remember my 7 year old daughter Gaya coming home from school and saying: ‘I love Israel, it is full of colors and of happiness, and it is also my home’".